12 posts from June 2014

June 30, 2014

Ole Henriksen Ultimate Lift Eye Gel ($42 at Sephora) is now new and improved with additional peptides and botanicals to instantly lift, firm and de-puff the delicate eye area. I have never used Ole Henriksen's products before and was very curious to try. I have been using the Ultimate Lift Eye Gel now for a few weeks and can't tell you how much I love it. I've tried a lot of eye creams over the years and this one is now at the top of my list. It really feels good on my skin. It instantly is cooling (perfect for summer) and the texture is so light. The light cucumber scent also makes me feel like I'm in my own spa. This week is the first week I haven't worn concealer under my eyes. This has been a first for months since I have had some dark circles and puffiness that never seemed to go away. One little jar will surely last you a long time too. To use, I place a little bit of gel on my 4th fingers to lightly dot under my eyes. Then I softly blend it into my skin in an upward motion toward the temples and the brow bone. I do a little pressure point push at my temples when I'm done.

June 27, 2014

I love my luxury beauty but I also find the drugstore a guilty pleasure to browse. So here's a start of my new coverage on Drugstore Beauty for the interesting beauty things I happen to come across that won't break the bank.

You Tube beauty bloggers swear by the Milani Baked Powder Blush ($8.49 at Walgreens) in Luminoso (05) as a healthy golden summer glow and I have to say I agree. I couldn't find it at my local Walgreens even though it says that store had it so I ended up paying a few dollars more to have it delivered via Amazon. Some say this blush is comparable to NARS Orgasm. I think Orgasm has more of a gold sparkly shimmer. This Milani blush looks like it has specks of gold in the powder, yet on the face, it completely gives you a peachy glow and a highlight without sparkles. It's the perfect little summer blush. There is a bit of fallout with the powder but for the price I really don't mind. The blush compartment also flips up to reveal a small brush and mirror which makes this perfect to stash in your bag and also compact for traveling. The brush it comes with is pretty decent too, especially just for touch ups. I have tried the other colors but I'm already eying Dulce Pink (01).

June 25, 2014

Just in time for celebrating the July 4th weekend comes a special VIP beauty gift set from Clarins! Just enter the code JULYVIP at checkout to receive a summer tote bag filled with Clarins goodies. With a $75 purchase, receive Body Lift Cellulite Control, Exfoliating Body Scrub, One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, Shaping Facial Lift Wrap, and UV Plus HP SPF 40 Day Screen. With a $100 purhcase, receive all that plus Super Restorative Day Cream and Super Restorative Night Cream. Offer ends 7/7/14. Shop Clarins now!

To make your gift with purchase easier, I recommend getting the Clarins Double Serum Luxury Size ($115 for 1.7 oz). You can also get the regular 1 oz Double Serum ($85) if you want to try it out first. It's one my top 5 lists of must have for skin care and I use it every day. The luxury size is great because it will last you all year if you like to use it morning and night like me. What I love is that the bottle has a dual chamber pump so you aren't opening up and exposing the serums to your dirty fingers and bacteria.

I can never really do my nails myself so for the most part I don't out of pure laziness. I can get by with a clear or sheer polish but for the most part, if I want to paint color, it becomes quite literally a mess. (Especially when it comes to painting my right hand with my left.) Therefore, you will usually see me with bare nails even though I have a top cabinet full of the prettiest nail polish colors.

Today is the launch of Julip's new Plié Wand ($25 / $20 Maven at julep.com) and I'm pretty sure all of us need this beautiful tool! The design by renowned design studio IDEO lets you ergonomically brush on nail polish with it's long balanced design. The handle is flexible and twists and bends so you can get a better grip, rather than relying on those teeny polish caps. The Pilé wand works with your own nail polish bottles but fits perfectly with the Julep nail polishes (of course).

June 24, 2014

Simple Skincare + POPSUGAR bring you the "Passport to Healthy Skin – City Edition" Event this Saturday, June 28th from 12-4pm at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco. I have always been curious about the new Simple Skincare line so I'm really going to try to make the event and enjoy the summer weather along the Embarcadero.

This healthy skin care event has been happening all around the country since May. You can find out more about it on the event page. The next city coming up after SF is Los Angeles on July 12th.

At the event will be:

Beauty experts will be on hand for tips, tutorials and on-site giveaways and will detail how city living (both urban elements and lifestyle habits) can make skin sensitive

Upon entering, a "passport" will guide you through the event’s four zones and will include resources to help navigate the stresses of everyday city living

June 23, 2014

The Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette had me at "Mondrian". The new eye palettes, $60 each at Sephora, take inspiration from YSL's Mondrian dress in the 60's with it's perfectly fitting squares and rectangles. I am eyeing #07 filled with warm pink, mauve and taupes (pictured above) but I also think I need the perfect neutral palette of browns #04. Each palette includes satin, matte and iridescent finishes. Blend for a sheer look or create a more pigmented look with lots of color by layering it on. These eyeshadows are supposed to be crease-proof with their new 12 hour hold formula. There is a great video tutorial using palette #04 by RAEview on You Tube that won me over on it's beauty and quality.

June 17, 2014

I used to think all facial cottons were the same until I tried Shiseido Facial Cotton ($9.50 for a pack of 165 at Nordstrom). These don't fray - at all. When I felt it with some toner on the back of my hand at the department store, I was amazed by the softness. It felt like the softest pillow on my hand. I've now been using them for two weeks and I simply can't go back to regular drugstore cotton pads for my face.

The Shiseido cotton pads are extra soft and made from Egyptian cotton. It's definitely worth it for the delicate eye area when removing eye makeup, not to mention my whole face and neck. I also realized that I am using less product with these wipes. I only now squirt about 2 drops of my Bioderma or Clarins eye makeup remover when previously I would have to do at least 3 or more drops per pad. These are somewhat expensive when compared to those regular drugstore wipes, but you get 165 not 100. And besides, they are much cheaper than Chanel's Le Coton which is $20 for just 100 pads. If you wanted to get more out of them, you could cut them in half for your eye makeup removal. I now keep my drugstore cotton pads for basic stuff such as nail polish removal.

I keep my Shiseido Facial Cotton pads in a clear covered container, a few at a time, so they are clean for each use. My one issue is that I wish the package had a box to store all the rest of them. The pads come in a plastic wrap. What I do now is keep the open package inside a large ziplock storage bag so the rest of my cotton pads can be stored safely in my bathroom cabinet.

If you're curious, head to your nearest Shiseido counter and ask them if you could try a sample on your hand. I guarantee you will not want to go back to a regular cotton pad for your face ever again!

June 13, 2014

Summer days are in full swing and I've been carrying my Coach Mini Borough in Edgepaint Leather ($378 at Coach.com) pretty much non-stop for a month now. Truth be told, I was very nervous to carry a white bag but I really loved the clean look of one. I have had the Coach Classic Leather Shoulder purse in a cream color for 3 years and it looked pretty clean, despite my constant wear all summer. Coach leather is one of the most durable to me since they are also pretreated so I figured why not take a leap with a white Mini Borough? I'm so glad I did because this bag has exceeded all my expectations. Not only is it comfortable to wear on the shoulder or crossbody, I love the classic look and style it brings to both casual and dressed up outfits. The white looks so fresh with the navy trim and leather zipper pulls paired with the gold hardware. I find myself carrying it by the handles too whether by hand or the crook of my arm. This bag just makes me melt. If you are looking for the perfect summer mini bag, the Coach Mini Borough will take you happily through summer!

A week and a half ago, I spent a wonderful lunch and afternoon shopping with Savvy in San Francisco at the Marin Country Mart and that's where I spilled my contents on the warm grass for the picture above. I went very minimalist this day since I was kid-free carrying only these must-have items in my Mini Borough.

Mini bags are the rage now but this mini doesn't skimp on space or organizational compartments. In fact, I can usually carry a lot if I really need to.

The bag is divided into 3 zippered compartments:

1) The first zippered compartment in the front of the bag is the largest. It has the longest zipper mouth opening too. If need be, I can fit my long wallet (7.75") or even an iPad mini! No joke. (My iPad mini has the standard Apple magnetic covers.) I usually place my smaller items in here such as my mints, car keys, etc. There is a small built in leather card holder that has 2 pockets so can carry your license and credit cards. I took a photo with my cards inside so you can see what it looks like. I usually like to place my receipts in here while shopping. One cute little detail is that the classic Coach leather tag hangs inside in this compartment from a gold D ring. It's such a beautiful touch!

2) The middle zippered compartment is small (as is the length of the zipper) and I use this as my makeup bag section to hold my beauty essentials.

3) The last zippered compartment is where I carry my important things. It has a long pocket and a cellphone pocket. I usually put my LV key holder in the long pocket and my iPhone 5S fits perfectly in the cellphone pocket. My small wallet also fits great in this section.

It's definitely not annoying to have 3 zippers and compartments. Since I know where everything is, I always open up the right compartment I need and never have to dig around my bag to find things. I also love that if I need to pack this bag up with my long wallet or iPad, I can! It's rare for a mini bag to have room to carry so much.

I avoid wearing it with really dark denim and new denim. But I do wear it with my denim jackets and recently noticed there was a tiny bit of denim color transferred on the handles. Nervously I used my trusty Kiwi leather cleaner and the denim color literally wiped right off in one stroke! Coach also sells their own leather cleaner and I also hear that magic eraser does wonders too. The zippers are smooth for me and I haven't had any problems with the hardware. In fact, overall this bag gets an A+ in quality. I can't say the same for a lot of designer bags that cost closer to the $2,000 range. Again, another reason to love the Mini Borough so much more!

June 09, 2014

Father's Day is this Sunday, June 15th. Dads are the hardest to shop in my book because they always seem to be lusting after the latest big flat screen TV. Am I right? Instead, here's your chance to infuse a little style in Dad's life.

Here's my Father's Day gift guide that will keep him on top of the stylish set: